


Shabby & Unkempt

by BrenH



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Family Bonding, Found Family, Gen, Haircuts, hints of widofjord and beaujester if u read into it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 03:50:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18886603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrenH/pseuds/BrenH
Summary: Every few weeks the party would spend an evening cutting each other’s hair, lest it get too shabby or unkempt. Or, if it did, for them to tease each other until it was fixed.





	Shabby & Unkempt

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place at some point during their downtime in ep 62!

“Oooh maybe we should go ask the barbers here what current Xhorhassian hairstyles are!” Jester suggests grinning.

Ever since their stint as pirates, the party would spend an evening once every few weeks cutting each other’s hair, lest it get too shabby or unkempt. It was Jester’s idea, really, she’d watched Beau clean up her own undercut enough times that Jester thought she could give herself her own trim, with disastrous results. She had spent a solid 20 minutes wailing to Beau about her lopsided chop, blaming everything from the rocking of the boat to the Traveler playing a mean trick on her, until Beau had offered to clean it up herself. A short while later and Jester’s hair had been even again, if not much shorter than she wanted, and she had decided that everyone needed to get together to fix each other up every so often. She’d ran around their little house earlier in the day proclaiming that since they had some downtime, they should have a haircutting night, giving no time for protest before running up to the tree to help Caduceus with his sunlight spell. Now she sits on the floor, a pair of scissors and a brush in her lap, while everyone gathers around. 

Beau scowls, fingers combing through tangled hair in front of her eyes. “Think I’ll stick to my usual, but I’ll help you get a Xhorhassian cut if you want.” She curses softly as her fingers find a particularly rough knot.

Yasha clears her throat softly, shifting slightly closer to Beau. Her arms stills in the air awkwardly, like she wants to reach out but doesn’t know if she’s allowed to. “May I?” Her voice is soft and when Beau shrugs Yasha gestures for her to move closer in front of her.

“What about you Fjord! I think you’d look very handsome with a haircut like Essik’s.” Fjord clears his throat uncomfortably as he shakes his head. Jester sighs, turning pleading eyes to Caleb. “What about you Caleb? You and Essik seemed friendly, maybe he would be happy to see you copy his style!”

Caleb gives a small, unsure smile. “I will ah... consider it.”

Beau listens half-heartedly, eyes fluttering closed as Yasha runs her fingers tenderly through her hair, separating it into parts and combing it out. She feels her begin a complicated braid on the top of her head and allows herself to relax into the feeling of Yasha’s strong hands in her hair.

Jester hums contemplatively, reaching back to let her hair out of her usual bun. “Well if no one else will get one with me, I won’t get one either.” 

Nott pipes up from where she had walked in, leaving Yeza to the laboratory for a while. “I’ll get one with you if you’d like, Jester.” 

“No, no…” Jester pouts, brushing her hair out. “I don’t want to  _ force  _ anyone to get their hair cut with me… I was thinking of growing it long anyway. What do  _ you _ think Fjord?” 

Fjord furrows his brow for a moment before responding, “You’re hair’s already kinda long and you keep it in a bun all the time anyway… what’d be the point?” 

Jester gasps in a way Beau recognizes as her trying to pretend to pretend to be offended, but she knows her friend well enough to know Fjord’s flippancy hurts her. “The  _ point _ would be that it’d be longer! But I guess you’re right…” Jester’s voice gets quieter as she looks away, and Beau opens her mouth to respond but Nott beats her too it.

“Well  _ I _ think you’d look very beautiful, like a princess.” Nott walks over to wear Jester’s sitting, and sits down on the floor next to her, glaring up at Fjord. “Don’t listen to him, he has  _ no _ sense of taste!” 

“Wh— Hey!” Fjord sputters indignantly for a moment and Beau snorts. “That’s not what I  _ meant _ I just— I. I am sorry Jester, I didn’t mean to offend.”

Jester giggles softly putting her brush down. “Offend? Offend who? Who’s  _ offended _ here? Anyway, Nott, what kind of haircut do  _ you _ want?” 

Nott and Jester turn away from a flustered Fjord to chatter idly as Nott explains she’d like just a neat trim today, maybe something fancier another night if they have the time, and Jester gets to quick work snipping at her hair. Beau feels the warmth of Yasha’s hands leave her as she finishes off her braid and pulls away. “There you go… the sides will be easier to cut without risking the rest of your hair now.”

“Oh, uh… thanks.” Beau replies, idly patting the braid running from the front of her head all the way down to the middle of her back. Maybe she could use a trim there too. 

“Caduceus, are you sure you do not want a haircut?” 

Beau looks over to wear Caleb is standing with Fjord and Caduceus, all three of them sporting slightly longer hair than when she met them. Fjord’s hair no longer sits neatly slicked back, but some of it reaches his ears, and Jester has suggested on more than one occasion he could fit it into a nice ponytail, albeit a tiny one. Caleb’s hair brushes his shoulders now and while Beau can easily imagine him with neatly trimmed hair close to his skull, she thinks he looks better like this, more free, more comfortable. Caduceus’s was long to begin with, but he’s never let anyone cut his hair in their little ritual before so it’s curls down to his waist now. 

“No, no, I’m fine.” He gives Caleb a wave and a slightly dopey smile. “I like to let nature run its course… I’d be more than happy to help cut other people’s though. I got pretty good at braiding though, for my sisters.”

Beau hears Yasha give a quiet “oh” sound from behind her, and she sees Cad’s head lazily turn towards them as he nods. “Would you mind braiding mine? I do not like to get it cut too often but… I enjoy braiding.” 

Caduceus meanders over to them, sitting down behind Yasha. “Sure, but only if you braid mine after. You did such a pretty job for Beau.”

Beau clears her throat uncomfortably, quickly standing up and walking away from the pair. “Yeah, Yasha’s got magic fingers!” She calls over her shoulder, hoping her comment will deflect from anymore comments about her being pretty. 

Beau goes to get a glass of water, turning to watch the rest of her friends, her little family, talking amongst each other. Caleb says something to Fjord before turning to walk over to her, standing at an uncomfortable distance. Not far enough to be outside of punch range, but not close enough for a normal conversation between friends. “Beauregard.” 

“Caleb.”

“You usually do not want help with your hair but… I would be willing to assist you.” 

Beau smiles, tense but genuine. “I appreciate the offer but uh… no thanks. Don’t really like people with sharp objects near my head, and I’ve gotten one too many bad haircuts.” 

Caleb nods, his eyes understanding in a way Beau wishes they weren’t, as if he sees through her to the parts she doesn’t want to say, about her mom or her family even though she’s said nothing to implicate them. “Ja, well, Yasha got me the straight razor, so if you would like to borrow it to get a ah… cleaner shave, you can be my guest.” 

“Uh… thanks, Caleb. I might take you up on that.” 

Caleb gives her a small wave before turning and walking back the five feet he came and Beau can’t help but snort. She follows him, back into the fray of their happy room. Nott’s now cutting Jester’s hair, her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth as she concentrates. Yasha and Caduceus are talking quietly amongst themselves as he braids her hair, and Beau isn’t sure she’s ever seen Yasha look so at peace. She walks up to the side of Fjord unoccupied by Caleb and punches him in the arm, feeling a twinge of guilt as she watches him desperately try to hold back a wince of pain. “What about you, captain? You getting your hair trimmed tonight?” 

Fjord runs a hand through his messy hair, blowing his lengthening bangs out of his eyes. “Guess I probably should, huh?” 

Beau shrugs, taking a sip from her glass. “I think you look fine, Mr. Fjord.” Fjord gives a pained smile and thumbs up to Caduceus, and Beau doesn’t try to hide her laughing into the glass. 

“I don’t know,” Caleb says, eyes twinkling and smile sly, “if you keep it as is, you would look more ah… piratey. Especially if you pulled it back into a ponyt—”

“Okay, okay, I’ve heard one too many ponytail comments to be able to keep it as is.” Fjord interjects, face flushing a little. “Who do I have to hand the scissors to to get this back to normal?” He points to his hair, nearling jabbing himself in the head in his fervor, leading to both Caleb and Beau laughing. 

Caleb pats him on the shoulder, lightly pushing him towards a chair. “Come on Big Guy, I will help you.”

Beau snorts. “Then who’s gonna cut your mess?”

Caleb doesn’t look up as he begins carefully cutting Fjord’s hair. “I think the mess suits me.”

Both Beau and Fjord respond at the same time, “I think so too,” and they all laugh and Beau smiles softly, glad that no one is looking to see her so vulnerable. 

Caleb is quiet a moment, but Beau doesn’t miss his peaceful smile as he carefully works at Fjord’s hair. “It is too bad, Fjord, we could have matching ponytails.” Fjord gives a huff, but Caleb continues, “Though, Jester says I would look good with a bun to match hers too, I believe the word she used was ah… twinsies.” 

Beau laughs loudly at the thought, can’t imagine Caleb as bright and cheerful as Jester but appreciating the thought. She knows he disguised himself as her twin, but that was different. That wasn’t Jester just deciding they could be twins with a similar haircut. 

“Well the problem there is,” Fjord starts, and Beau can  _ hear  _ his eyes rolling, “That’d suit you.”

“Maybe, but I think the shaggy pirate look suits  _ you _ . It is a very… handsome look.” 

Beau rolls her own eyes at the awkward display, delighting in Fjord’s flustered fumbling and flushed cheeks while Caleb chuckles. 

Things go quietly for a while, everyone engrossed in their work. Beau goes to sit on the couch behind Caduceus to try her hand at braiding his hair to his surprise and glee. After a while, the quiet din is broken by Jester, loudly proclaiming she wants to dye someone’s hair, saying she won't let up until someone agrees, to which Caleb casts a quick spell, changing his hair to a similar pink to Caduceus’s to Jester’s excited shout. He dismisses the spell quickly, and Jester tries to convince him that he should let her dye his hair that colour permanently because it looked so good, and Nott pipes in saying she thought he looked very handsome like that. Caduceus agrees wholeheartedly, and Beau and Fjord chime in just to bother him. His expression almost doesn’t change from deadpan the whole time, but Beau can see his mouth twitching as he tries to hide his smile. After some cajoling, Jester leaves him to “join the braiding train,” and Yasha happily begins weaving elegant braids into her hair as she calls for Nott to come over so that Jester can braid her hair too. Jester tells Caleb he should come too, and Nott can braid his hair, but “Fjord can’t come because he refuses to let his hair grow out any longer,” and she adds to her point by sticking her tongue out at him.

Fjord responds with some comment about how Caleb’s hair was tickling him anyway and he was thinking of getting an early night. Beau’s heart hurts a little at the slight panic and sadness in Jester’s voice as she tries to tell him she wasn’t chasing him off, just pointing out that his hair isn’t even long enough for a ponytail now let alone a braid. Fjord awkwardly smiles at her, and Beau notices his eyes shift to Caleb ever so subtly before he clears his throat and says his goodnights. 

Nott insists that Caleb join them anyway, and he smiles fondly at her before coming to join them on the floor sitting in front of Nott. Jester shifts her onto her lap so she has an easier time reaching Caleb’s hair, long as it may be now. Beau hears Nott and Jester giggling together, and looks out over their winding line to see Nott wrapping Caleb’s braids into a neat little bun. “See, Caleb, now we’re twinsies!” 

Caleb reaches back, gently touching the new bun in his hair. Beau can’t see his face, but she imagines he’s smiling when he says, “Ja, I guess we are.”

After a while everyone else begins to leave too, until it’s just Beau and Caduceus and the awkward braids she’s completed. Caduceus smiles at her in that understanding and caring way of his as he tells her that it’s a lot harder to do on other people than it is on yourself, before he leaves too. Beau finds Caleb’s razor sitting on a neatly folded piece of paper outside her and Jester’s door, the note simply reading that she can hold onto it for as long as she needs.

When Beau comes into the room, Jester is already tucked into her bed, lantern dimmed but still on for Beau’s benefit. She’s lying in her bed, obviously trying to pretend she hasn’t been waiting for Beau to come in since she left. She stays quiet as Beau changes into her sleeping clothes and sits in the chair in front of the small mirror Jester added to their room. Beau gets to work cleaning up the sides of her undercut, glad that the rest of her hair is out of the way thanks to Yasha. It’s a little different using the razor, but easier once she gets a hang of it, and she only slightly nicks her ear once by the time she’s done. She sits there for a moment longer, staring at her reflection for a moment before she goes about undoing the braid. Once it’s down, she sits with her hair falling around her face and she bites her lip. 

“Jester?”

A fake yawn. “Yes, Beau?”

“Would you… help me cut my hair?” 

Jester is silent for so long Beau thinks she may actually have fallen asleep, but then there’s the rustling of sheets and the creak of her bed. “Of course, Beau, but I thought you didn’t like when people cut your hair for you.”

Beau doesn’t say anything until Jester is behind her, handing her Caleb’s razor. “I don’t usually but I… I trust you.” Beau hates how her voice cracks at the end of her sentence, knows Jester caught it too but won’t bring it up. 

“Thank you, Beau.” Is the only thing Jester says before she beings to methodically cut the ends of Beau’s hair off until Beau is happy with the length, just below her shoulders. Jester smiles brightly at her and all but skips back to her bed. 

Beau puts the lantern out fully, slowly walking back to her bed with only the stars to guide her. She lies down, and the room is silent for a while before she whispers Jester’s name out into the dark. When she gets a soft, “yes” in response Beau opens her mouth, feeling the words caught for a moment before she gets them out. “Thank you, Jes. I love you.”

“I love you,  _ too, _ Beau.”

Beau can hear the smile in her voice, even if she can’t see it in the dark, and she finds herself matching it. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Maybe next time you’ll let me brush your hair too.”

Beau snorts into the darkness, but she can’t help the smile that creeps onto her face. “Maybe I’d like that.” 


End file.
